Dean and Payne fire Dons into top half with win over Forest Green

Jack Payne orchestrated MK Dons' routine 2-0 victory over Forest Green Rovers on Saturday as they climbed into the top half of League Two.

Max Dean opened the scoring after 20 minutes before the excellent Payne, who pulled all the strings in the first-half, rattled home a second nine minutes before the break to put Dons in total control.

The second-half was a bit of a non-event as Forest Green huffed and puffed but struggled to create anything, while Dons never looked out of second gear, climbing to tenth in the standings.

Lining up for the first time in League Two for nearly three weeks, Mike Williamson made just one enforced change to the side which drew 1-1 with Grimsby Town, with suspended MJ Williams replaced by returning Ethan Robson.

With Rovers struggling at the foot of the table, it was of little surprise that Dons were able to dictate the pace and tempo of the game from early on, though the likes of Callum Morton and Troy Deeney were quick to try and impose themselves, with the visitors looking to play on the counter.

Jack Payne was the key man for Dons, with everything played through him in the opening period. Chances were hard to carve though, and Max Dean was barely involved until, in typical fashion, he found the back of the net after 20 minutes. A ball fizzed towards Alex Gilby could not be brought under control, but Dean was quickest to react, turning and rifling past keeper Luke Daniels for his ninth goal of the season.

Mike Williamson's style of play has been a hot topic since he took over, and the move on 31 minutes would have been the perfect poster child for it, had Conor Grant converted. Payne sparked the move on the edge of his own area, before picking up again in the centre circle, feeding Alex Gilbey and then Joe Tomlinson, whose cross was on a plate for the Irishman to whip it home, but the whole ground stood stunned as he put it wide of the mark.

They would not have to wait long though for that second goal - just five minutes in fact - with Tomlinson again quick down the right, picking out Payne who rattled home from just inside the box - his reward for an excellent opening half.

And though it was an entertaining opening 45 minutes from Dons' perspective, the second was a damp squib by comparison. Neither side really were able to find their feet, and chances were next to none as the hosts looked more like going through the motions than chasing a third, while, despite a little spell of pressure, Rovers were never able to test MacGillivray.

Such was the bitty nature of the second-half, the only chance of it came in stoppage time at the end when Payne's free-kick was tipped away by Luke Daniels.

Referee: Seb Stockbridge

Attendance: 6,033

MK Dons: MacGIllivray, Lewington, O'Hora, Norman, Harvie, Tomlinson, E Robson (Dennis 76), Payne, Gilbey, Grant (Devoy 76), Dean

Subs not used: Kelly, Harrison, Eisa, Smith, Stewart

Forest Green Rovers: Daniels, Inniss, Jenks (Stevens 58), McAllister, McCann, Deeney, Moore-Taylor, J Robson, Robertson (Welch 86), Jones (Bunker 75), Morton (Omotyoe 86)

Subs not used: Searle, Johnson, Bendle

Booked: Jones, Norman, Dean, J Robson, E Robson, Inniss, Harvie, Moore-Taylor